ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

PANTONE SPOTS X 3 (PMS7545C, PMS7468C, PMS360C)

EN sponsor first Yorkshire & Humber G4C Awards

Over 50 projects backed in its first 3 years. What next for the 4 GOOD FUND?

Looking at Life Evan Williams tries out the Armed Forces’

Be The Best training at Strensall Camp

Location! Location! Location!One action packed winter day filming across South Yorkshire

System Intelligence UsingSchemes Plus

Hello and welcome to our two new Board Directors

Farewell and thank you to Joint Tenant Panel Chair Colleen Adamson

Issue #2 December 2014

Best Practice for 2015

Save the dates for the first 3 workshops of the new year

Season’s Greetings and Happy 2015!

EN:VISION

Following its incorporation as a private company in public sector ownership earlier this year, Efficiency North Limited are delighted to welcome two new Directors to the Board; George Paterson, Group Director of Assets at Together Housing Group, and Simeon Perry, Procurement and Performance Manager at Leeds City Council.

George Paterson brings with him over 30 years’ experience in social housing. George has previously held several senior roles in housing including Salford PFI Director, where his key task was to ensure PFI bid success, taking the project from preferred bidder stage through to a fully operational functioning PFI scheme by making the Housing Management and Repairs Service deliverable.

Simeon Perry brings over 20 years’ experience of estate and asset management both in Leeds and in York. In his current role Simeon has responsibility for an area of procurement activity over £100m. His focus is on continuous service quality improvement and building close working relationships with all key stakeholders.

“I am delighted to join the Efficiency North Ltd Board, which already has a strong and experienced membership. It is a really exciting time for Efficiency North and its members as the organisation goes from strength to strength and will deliver not just excellent value for money in relation to procurement, but will also provide some fantastic opportunities in local communities in terms of employment and local facilities. In addition the strategic collaboration with Re:allies is a further enhancement of the excellent procurement work in the North of England.”

George Paterson, Group Director of Assets,Together Housing Group

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Hello and welcome to two new Board Directors

“I firmly support the concept that shared procurement can bring significant financial savings to Social Housing Providers, particularly with the current fiscal constraints in the public sector. Organisations such as EN provide such a vehicle. I’m looking forward to utilising my skills to support Efficiency North Ltd with the development of its growth vision. This is also a great opportunity to develop closer working relationships with other landlords in Yorkshire and Humber so that the tenant service and experience of property management can improve and benefit development of services in Leeds.”

Simeon Perry,Procurement and Performance Manager,Leeds City Council

After nearly 4 years serving as Chair of Efficiency North’s Joint Tenant Panel, the Efficiency North team and fellow panel members were very sad to say goodbye to Colleen Adamson, one of Wakefield and District Housing’s represenatives, now that her role within WDH came to the end of its term. Colleen has been a much valued and proactive member of the Panel since it first started back in 2010, at the inception of the EN Procure framework. Elected by fellow Panel members as Chair in 2011, Colleen has played a vital role in ensuring the voice of members’ tenant communities has been considered through all stages of

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Farewell and thank you to Joint Tenant Panel Chair Colleen Adamson

Efficiency North’s procurement activities. Colleen also went on to be elected as Chair of the 4 Good Fund Panel since its first meeting in April 2012. Colleen’s contribution to the Panel has been consistent and unwavering. Her ability to put her point across clearly and eloquently to convey her genuine concern for issues faced by tenants will be very much missed. Since Colleen’s departure, former Vice Chair of the Joint Tenant Panel, George Ford, one of the representatives for Hull City Council, has taken on the role of Acting Chair. Elections for a new Panel Chair will take place in the new year.

A huge thank you to Colleen for giving us so many highlights to remember during her time as EN’s Joint Tenant Panel Chair

Growth of the Joint Tenant Panel

In 2015 the Panel will see many exciting developments. Moves are already underway to recruit more representatives with the aim that all of Efficiency North’s member organisations are represented.

Trustees of EN’s new Charitable Trust

In 2015 Efficiency North are looking into options for establishing a Charitable Trust, and hope that members of the Joint Tenant Panel will become trustees, to ensure that tenant communities retain a strong voice in allocating funds to target support of economic and social regeneration and employment and skills within their local communities. An update will follow in the new year.

With over 50 projects backed in its first 3 years, what’s next for the Frameworks 4 Good Fund? The 4 Good Fund Panel have allocated funding grants of up to £5k to support a further 20 projects in the Fund’s third, and latest, bid cycle, which opened in August this year, with a deadline for applications once more at the end of October. The Fund, which is accrued from contribtions made through Efficiency North’s frameworks, has now backed over 50 projects, which are all, in their own unique ways, making a real difference to local communities right across Yorkshire and Humber. The Panel noted an improvement in the quality of applications received this bid round, which followed the first special event to launch the Fund. Held at the Guildhall in Hull on 20 August, and attended by 60+ community group leaders, the event was specifically arranged and tailored to help them with the application process, with advice provided by previously successful applicants. Under our new formation, EN are re-examining our CSR strategy. The current approach has served us well over the last few years, however it’s time to dig a little deeper and take the lessons learned from our journey so far to make improvements. Getting people back or into work for the first time remains a high focus for all of us here. Whilst we are very proud of our achievements, we understand that through a modified approach that is a little narrower, but also deeper, means that people living in the communities our landlord members serve can be targeted and work programmes, and even more training and employment opportunities can be created. Our frameworks continue to go from strength to strength, and this level of commitment means that we are able to support these people on their respective journeys into the world of work. We will continue to deliver our Community Investment Fund (formerly called the 4 Good Fund), now that Round 3 has been evaluated a further 20 projects will receive funding, bringing the running total to date to a staggering £163,702.51 supporting 55 projects over the last 3 years. We are undertaking a consultation with our members on what CSR means to their organisations, and how we can support their outcomes. This will be built into our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy.

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2012 Bridlington Model Boat Society, Health and Safety external worksEnnerdale TARA, Community Centre works, DoncasterFriends of Martinwells Lake , Lake Landscape Improvements, Edlington Kellington Parish Council, Kellington Allotments Mental Health Action Group, Hull New Options Community Fitness and Training Centre, Barnsley Preston Road Community Association, Craven Lea Sustainability, HullSt Stephens Neighbourhood Centre, Learn to Enjoy, Hull Worsborough Common Community Association, Community Area Plan YMCA White Rose Wakefield, WYAC Environmental Programme Yorkshire Main Community Centre, EdlingtonYorkshire Main Community, Edlington, Community Employability and Social Regeneration

2013Dove House Hospice, Garden Pond Rescue, Hull ECO Edlington Community Organisation, Community Engagement & Employment project Enviro Furniture, Simple Enviro, Hull Federation of Disability Sports Organisations, Disability and Community Sports at the Denhale ARC, Wakefield Friends of Fryston Wood, Ferry Fryston Community Allotment and Bee Keeping Project Friends of Martinwells Lake, Landscape Improvements Hall Green Community Association, Community Centre, Wakefield Hanover Tenants Association, Get Online with the HTA, Sheffield Hull Civic Society, Heritage Open Days, Hull Inspire Communities Ltd, Inspiring Health, Hull Kingstown Radio Hospital Broadcasting Hull & East Yorks, Community Studio Learning Partnerships, 2 <Way> Street Project, Leeds Leeds Rugby Foundation, 3 Year Development Plan for Rugby League in Leeds Milton Hall Community Group, Community Hub Monk Fryston and Hillam Community Association, Youth Provision and Community Development Project Phase 2-4 Myton Community College, The Base Project, Hull Northern Hull Community Development, Unity in Community, Get Started Rotherham Federation of Tenants and Residents Ltd, Help Me Online The Tigers Trust, Tigers Ambassadors, Castleford Voluntary Action North Lincolnshire, GROW Whitley Village Allotment Association Worsbrough Common Community Association, ICT Centre Partnership Building Feasibility Project YMCA White Rose, WYAC Young Horticultural Enterprise, Wakefield

2014Artistic Spectrum, Arts for MindsBameen, Growing Diversity for HullBe Your Best Foundation (BYBF), Rock Challenge Doncaster New Directions, Amblers Open All Hours Driffield Methodist Church (DMC), Schoolroom Toilets Refurbishment East Riding Theatre Limited, Accessible ramp and terrace to rear of buildingEdlington Community Organisation, Winter WellbeingField Lane All Residents’ Association (FLARA), Young People’s SpaceFriends of Hollybush, Gardening For Mental Health Friends of Skelton Grange, Growing Together at Skelton GrangeHeeley Development Trust, Improving Heeley Institute (Heating System)Lavender Court Residents Social Fund, Lavender Court Computer ClubNew Wortley Community Association, Heating Project Northern Hull Community Development Limited (Unity in Community), The Greenwood CentreRFS Teaching Trees, RFS Teaching TreesTadcaster and Rural Community Interest Company , Bright Sparks Youth Enterprise ProjectVolcom, Digital Skills Warmsworth Community Partnership, Warmsworth Community Library Browsing ClubYFC Calderdale, Helping Young People ProjectYorkshire Main Community Centre, Community Job Shop

The story so far. Projects backed by the Frameworks 4 Good Fund either in grants of up to £5k or labour in kind and/or materials.

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Location! Location! Location!One action packed winter day filming across South Yorkshire

The EN team were very grateful to whoever arranged the weather on Wednesday 3 December. The crisp wintry light and ice blue skies were perfect for the full day of filming on location which began at 8.30am outdoors, and showed the location for the first shoot of the day, Martinwells Lake in Edlington, Doncaster, is as picturesque as any other nature reserve in the stunning county of Yorkshire. This was not always the case. Only a few years ago the area was derelict and a notorious crime spot. Efficiency North brought along 2-man film crew, Neil Wood-Mitchell and Gavin Knights, from Three Motion Media to record the voices and faces

of the group of local tenants whose dedicated hard work and determination has transformed the lake into the haven for wildlife and outdoor pursuits that it is today. Also captured on film was PCSO Ian Warhurst, leader of the lake’s fishing club for young people which opened in 2013. Ian brought along the winner of the first fishing competion, Year 6 student Koben Clark. Koben, who had hardly any previous experience of fishing before the club came into being, brought along his trophy and his fishing rod to show the crew how it was done. Next stop was the Yorkshire Main Community Centre where, amongst several interviewees, local councillor Georgina Mullins spoke on camera

about the difference the support of the Efficiency North’s 4 Good Fund had made to the local community, which is in the top 10% most deprived in the UK. After a motorway dash to keep to schedule the crew arrived just on time to set up cameras in the 4 Good Fund Panel meeting at the Source, Meadowhall, set up a green screen in another room and grab a spare moment to have some lunch. The crew somehow managed to interview 13 people from the Efficiency North community throughout the day. Watch this space and get your popcorn ready to see the finished movie - coming to a screen near you in the new year.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to show the positive developments the 4 Good Fund has supported for Edlington Community Organisation and the community centre. Our volunteers, service users and community support officers can explain better than anyone the impact the funding has made from their own real experiences.”

Samantha Siddall,Project Development,Edlington Community Organisation

Looking at LifeApprentice Evan Williams tries out the Armed Forces’ Be The Best training at Strensall Camp

On Monday 1st December I arrived at the Army Reserve “Look at Life - Be the Best” Course at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Strensall, York, not really knowing what was in store. Though I did know that the aim of the course was to provide young people with an idea of what life is like in the army while also teaching them employability skills such as team work, leadership, problem solving and responsibility. The week was very hands-on, with the activities we were doing nearly all being based on physical exercise. This wasn’t a problem though, it was freezing all week so we welcomed the opportunity to get warmed up (Most of the time…). We started the week by going on a timed mile and a half run, which for me was a lot harder than it should have been due to the Burger King I had on the journey from Sheffield followed by the lunch we had as soon as we got there. I got a decent time though, finishing it in around ten minutes. The next activity of the day wasn’t until after dinner, so we had some free time to ourselves to go and sort our stuff out and relax for a bit. We then began doing ‘Ice-Breakers’ where we got up in front of the group and talked about ourselves for a couple of minutes, which is easier said than done! Some people found it more difficult than others, there was a 41 year old woman who managed to talk about her life for only 38 seconds which was a bit worrying. Tuesday was the day where the physical exercise got tough, but first we went to the indoor digital firing range which was fun, especially for someone who has never used a facility that looked just like a giant computer game. We used real weapons that had

EN sponsor first Yorkshire & Humber G4C Awards

Efficiency North are proud to be sponsoring the Trainee of the Year Award in the very first G4C Yorkshire & Humber Awards 2015. These brand new awards aim to showcase excellence and celebrate the achievements of up and coming young construction professionals in the Yorkshire and Humber region and the companies who support and train the future leaders of the industry. The inaugural G4C Awards winners will be presented with their awards at a special ceremony to be held at 6.30pm on Friday 13 February 2015 at the

Mercure St Paul’s Hotel in Sheffield city centre. The 6 categories to compete for will be judged by a panel of local industry leaders and experts.

For more information about the awards, sponsorship opportunities, how to enter, and how to book a table for the awards ceremony, please contact Caroline Key: caroline.key@citb.co.uk

The closing date for entries is 7 January 2015.

EN Best Practice 2015Save the dates for the first 3 workshops of the new yearTuesday 3 February 09:30-13:00Shining a Light on PV: making the most for residents and landlords

VENUE: Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester M2 5PD.The first best practice session in 2015 will invite industry specialists to discuss their experiences in the solar photovoltaic (PV) energy market. Taking place jointly with our Re:allies partners at the Manchester Central Library on 3rd February 2015, the first session will encourage customers to share best practice examples, and explain how to minimise the risks presented by investment into PV on a large scale and the work that has been done by Re:allies in this area to make it a more investable proposition for landlords.

Tuesday 24 February 09:30-14:00 (includes factory tour)Better understanding Paint Specification & Innovations in Paint Products

VENUE: PPG Visitor Centre, Birstall, Batley WF17 9XA .The session aims to provide client specifiers and technical teams a greater understanding of the technical nature of paint and product innovations that are now available, along with an insight into it’s production. Understanding of direct manufacturer technical support available.

Tuesday 24 March 09:30-13:00New Build Housing Modern Methods ConstructionVENUE TBC: possibly Glasshoughton Community Centre

been modified to fire lasers rather than bullets or missiles, which was probably for the best when looking at where some people’s shots ended up. After that we went for lunch and to go and change into our military gear. It was then time for the Battle PT session which was… brutal. We had to do a ‘warm-up’ which was more like an extreme work-out and then split into teams of 8. Then the exercise was to pick up a log, a jerry can and a big tyre and do 3 laps round a football pitch. I can safely say I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to passing out, which a couple of people did. On the Wednesday we had a run with our gear on and a replica gun which seemed to get heavier throughout the day, some lessons in camouflage, setting up bivvies and observation. We also practised patrol formations which spiralled into a pretend gunfight between two of our teams. My team lost because things got ugly and we were forced to retreat. On the last full day we got to go on the assault course which is what most of us had been looking forward to all week. There was also the added pressure of being tracked by a film crew, who were there on behalf of Efficiency North, while we were doing it. We had one practice run before lunch, and then had our proper go around it which was a timed race between two teams. Lunch certainly didn’t help our cause however, as everything seemed that little bit harder with a belly full of food! I really enjoyed the week. I’m not sure my body did though. At the time of writing I am still feeling the effects as I twisted my ankle during the very last exercise! It was really good to challenge myself and see what I could do when I tried. I think everyone surprised themselves when they finished one of the tougher exercises. I was a bit apprehensive before I went but now I‘ve done it, I’d definitely go and do it again!

Contact Carl Bairstow carl.bairstow@efficiencynorth.org

System IntelligenceUsing Schemes Plus

Web based systems underpin the operation of projects called off from our frameworks. One of these which many of you will be getting to grips with is Schemes Plus which is the main project management, ordering, invoicing and cost control tool within our suite of systems.

This system brings great control of the two aspects of labour and materials for any project.

• It is flexible yet robust on how cost can be agreed and controlled, enabling payments easier to agree with fewer resources.

• It encourages planning and organisation, the key to any successful project.

• It provides details on ‘live’ progress, enabling tracking of orders in progress and open properties.

• It automatically forecasts outturn cost based on archetypal cloning.• It can ensure only specified materials can be ordered for your

properties, improving asset consistency.• It works from a single address list, ensuring everyone is singing from

the same hymn sheet (had to get at least one Christmas pun in!).• It provides a full audit trail of all activity.

We all have a stakeholding in its ownership and functionality, so feedback and suggestions for improvements are always welcomed!

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Landlord Review Report

Provides an overview of all projects that you are undertaking against original Forecast costForecast – Clients original Budget forecastLive – Total value of scheme cost model that is live and available to undertakeRecognised – Work which has been invoicedPaid – Value of invoices client has marked as paid

Project Orders Report

This provides a full breakdown of all orders made under a project. When exported to Excel it is a useful way of ensuring your contractors and suppliers are keeping on top of the project and closing out properties in a timely manner.

Target Cost Report

Shows the cost breakdown of overall scheme build up to date. This summarises the number of property types, the number allocated to each type from the address list and cost for each split into labour and materials. The full target cost breakdown for each archetype cost model can also be accessed through the report.

Property Cost Details Report

Shows cost and the status of completion at an individual address level and links all costs to a property to the individual invoice numbers which can be further interrogated to individual component level.

Want to know more or need any help? Call our friendly Helpdesk experts on 0161 874 1804

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Often overlooked by users of the system are the reporting tools that are readily available to make overall project control easier.

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BUILDING COMMUNITIES IN YORKSHIRE & HUMBER

Providing innovative procurement solutions to secure efficiencies and convert savings into real money that can transform real lives in the communities our landlord members serve.

© Efficiency North Limited 2014 | T: 0330 606 1460 | A06, Magna 34 Business Park, Temple Rd, Rotherham, S60 1FG | www.efficiencynorth.org | @EfficiencyNorth

Efficiency North Ltd is steered by a Board of Asset Management Professionals from:

• Berneslai Homes, Barnsley • Hull City Council • Leeds City Council• Sheffield City Council • St Leger Homes Ltd, Doncaster (Chair)• Together Housing Group• Wakefield District Housing

The consortium’s current wider membership includes:• Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council• Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation• City of York Council• Connect Housing• Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council• East Riding of Yorkshire Council • Hambleton District Council• Harrogate Borough Council• Leeds Federated Housing• North Lincolnshire Homes• Pickering and Ferens Homes• Richmondshire District Council• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council• Selby District Council• Selby District Housing Trust• Shoreline Housing Partnership